Chuck D is often quoted as calling hip-hop “the black CNN.” These days, it’s more like TMZ with a beat.

No sooner did Kanye West’s latest single, “Theraflu,” surface late Wednesday night — in which the Chicago-native rapper says, “I admit I fell in love with Kim” — than gossip sites reported Thursday morning that West and reality TV star Kim Kardashian are indeed a couple.

“Kim and Kanye have now just started dating,” a source told People magazine, adding that the two high-profile celebs are keeping things “light” and “seeing where it goes.”

Where it went Wednesday night was to dinner and a movie (“The Hunger Games”) in New York. Thursday morning, TMZ.com published photos of Kardashian “leaving from the building where Kanye lives … wearing the same clothes she rocked to the movies last night.” Kardashian is scheduled to host NBC’s “Today” show Friday morning.

West, 34, has appeared with Kardashian, 31, on “Kourtney & Kim Take New York,” one of several Kardashian family-brand reality TV series.

“We’ve been friends for years,” Kardashian told Ryan Seacrest in a radio interview last month. “We just support each other. That’s what friends do.”

In fact, their relationship goes back at least as far as West’s previous romance.

West split up with former girlfriend Amber Rose in 2010, and Rose later claimed that Kardashian was the cause. But Kardashian last year wed NBA player Kris Humphries — the marriage that infamously lasted 72 days. Meanwhile, just last month, Rose married another rapper, Wiz Khalifa.

Most of this drama is covered in the middle of “Theraflu”:

Only n—- I got respect for is Wiz

And I’ll admit, I fell in love with Kim

Around the time she had fell in love with him

Well that’s cool, baby girl, do ya thang

Lucky I ain’t had Jay drop him from the team

Break out your gossip-decoding rings for this one.

The “him” for Kim in that lyric is Humphries, and the last line refers to Jay-Z, West’s current touring partner and co-owner of Humphries’ team, the New Jersey Nets.

“Theraflu,” however, was not the song fans were expecting to hear first this week from Kanye’s camp.

Overnight, West was expected to unveil the song “Mercy,” an official single release from an upcoming mixtape compilation from West’s G.O.O.D. record label, a branch of Island Def Jam. “Mercy” features West collaborating with Pusha T, Big Sean and 2 Chainz. The full album is expected to include G.O.O.D. artists John Legend, Common, Kid Cudi, CyHi da Prynce, Mr. Hudson and others.

But according to Chicago hip-hop blog Fake Shore Drive, “Theraflu” actually was a leak from West’s next solo project. West released the acclaimed “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” album in 2010, and last year saw his collaboration with Jay-Z on “Watch the Throne.” Most online streams of “Theraflu” were yanked by midday Thursday.

West has used the Christian holiday as a G.O.O.D. marketing gimmick before. He began posting tracks from “Fantasy” on Good Friday in 2010.

No release date for the new G.O.O.D. compilation has been set, but producer Mannie Fresh recently told MTV News it was “pretty close” to being finished. “Songs phenomenal, everything,” he said. “It’s an album that’s all over the place, it’s not just one thing. It’s not just that you’re gonna hear some Southern hip-hop or whatever. You’re gonna hear everything.”

Meanwhile, “Theraflu” is produced by Hit-Boy, who also helmed West and Jay-Z’s “Watch the Throne” hit single “N—-s in Paris” (the song they enjoy repeating and repeating as a concert encore).

West and Jay-Z will take their “Throne” tour to Britain this summer, and Jay-Z has hinted that a second “Throne” album may be coming: “You might see a Jay, then Kanye and a ‘Throne’ album next year. We’ve really found our zone.”

On Oak Grove‘s first offensive series of the season, the Warriors needed only 44 seconds to find paydirt.

And the play it came on was installed one week before by first-year offensive coordinator — and NFL legend —Brett Favre.

Quarterback Kirk McCarty took the snap, then pitched to quarterback Cameron Myers, who had been lined up in the slot. Myers, who transferred to Oak Grove from crosstown Hattiesburg High, pulled up behind the line of scrimmage and heaved a bomb down the field to a streaking Kelvin Winston.

Winston was all by his lonesome just in front of the end zone, and the rout was on. The Warriors trounced Sumrall 64-6 Friday at Warrior Field in the season opener for both teams.

Oak Grove coach Nevil Barr said when Favre approached him about adding the intricate wrinkle to the playbook, there was no hesitation at all.

“No, no, no,” Barr said. “I trust in my offensive coaches — unless it’s just something that’s way out there. Brett wanted to run it early in the game and it worked to perfection.”

Myers’ touchdown pass may have kick-started things, but McCarty put the game away for the Warriors.

After Sumrall’s DeVontae Watts scored on a 2-yard run with 4:34 left in the first quarter, the junior signal-caller took over.

With 10:13 left in the second quarter, McCarty found Logan Scott from 3 yards out to put the Warriors on top 14-6. Less than two minutes later, the left-handed quarterback scampered into the end zone for the first of three rushing touchdowns in a span of 6½ minutes.

McCarty credited his offensive line for making things seem easy.

“They blocked a heck of a game,” he said. “There’s no way to do it without those blocks and those holes that you could’ve driven a train through. We made a lot of blocks tonight that people don’t realize unless they watch the film.”

Oak Grove led 41-6 at halftime.

The Bobcats were overmatched in the trenches from the get-go. Sumrall’s offensive line allowed five sacks in the first half alone.

Sumrall coach Shannon White said he was just happy quarterback Will Simon didn’t get hurt.

“That’s the whole thing,” White said. “In this (spread) offense, if you can’t handle pressure, you get beat 64-6 by an average team, much less a great team. Oak Grove’s got a good football team.

“We were poorly prepared on my part. When things got bad, I thought we took it. We played like sissies.”

Sumrall lost last season’s opener against Oak Grove 52-0. White said he saw improvement in his team.

“Last year, we played good for four minutes. This year, we played good for eight minutes,” he said. “So after a year of work, we’re four minutes better. Maybe if we work 10 more years, we’ll get a half, who knows.”

McCarty finished 12-of-17 passing with 124 yards and a touchdown, while rushing six times for 74 yards. Ty Harris ran for 86 yards on four carries for Oak Grove, while Jordan Duncan had two catches for 46 yards and a touchdown.

Oak Grove welcomes Purvis to Warrior Field next week, while Sumrall travels to Poplarville. Kickoff for both games is set for 7:30 p.m.

[In summary, it is his 35 “secret” number and his 45 life lesson and path of destiny that combine to make him a tough quarterback. This combo also accounts for him holding the record for the most consecutive starts by any player in the NFL with 297 starts].

Cory has received wide recognition for her physical fitness achievements, including a nomination for Athlete of the Year, by L.A. Sportswriters and Sportscasters, the American Federation of Bodybuilders’ 10 Most Outstanding Physiques of the 1980s and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Fitness Award for her contributions to the growth and development of sports fitness.

But Cory has had to work hard to develop and maintain her physique. Shortly after she graduated from college, doctors found a serious blood clot in her left leg and predicted she would never walk normally again. Cory exercised regularly, trained diligently and proved her doctors wrong. You can check out Cory Everson on “Gotta Sweat” on ESPN.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

As a child, “The Incredible Hulk” star Lou Ferrigno would accompany his father to the firing range.

He remembers watching as his dad, a lieutenant with the New York Police Department, pumped four precise shots into a paper target.

“He said, ‘If you ever misbehave, the same will happen to you,’ ” Ferrigno recalled. “I thought, ‘OK, from now on I’ll have respect.’ ”

Ferrigno proved that Friday morning by becoming a reserve deputy with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff Ian Parkinson swore in the beaming bodybuilder-turned-actor during a ceremony at the Sheriff Office’s Honor Farm building, in front of crowd included his wife, Carla, and Elaine LaLanne, widow of fitness guru Jack LaLanne.

“I’m really honored to be here,” Ferrigno said after his wife pinned a deputy’s badge to his lapel. “It means a lot to me.”

LaLanne said her late husband was “up in heaven” cheering Ferrigno on.

“Jack would be so proud,” said LaLanne, who gave Ferrigno a belt buckle printed with an image of Jack LaLanne and one of his favorite sayings: “Your waistline is your lifeline.”

Best known for his role on TV’s “The Incredible Hulk,” Ferrigno spent a seven-year stint on CBS’s “The King of Queens” and appeared in the comedy “I Love You, Man.” Most recently, he was a contestant on NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice.”

In March, Parkinson praised Ferrigno as a “huge supporter of law enforcement.”

Ferrigno may come across as shy at times, Parkinson told The Tribune, “(But) when he talks about law enforcement, he gets so excited and animated. It’s like a 14-year-old kid.”

Ferringo, who divides his time between Arroyo Grande and Santa Monica, joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department as a reserve deputy in 2006 after undergoing training for firearms, first aid and high-speed driving techniques.

In order to join the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, Ferrigno had to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, lie detector test and background check. He also had to get permission from Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to serve here.

“When you’re part of this department, it’s about trust,” Ferrigno said, stressing that he takes the job seriously. “It’s not like I’m getting a free badge. I’m a certified police officer.”

Ferrigno said he plans to spend 20 to 40 hours a month working with both departments, doing criminal investigation, weapons training and other duties.

15:24 EST 28 August 2012

Jessica Simpson in race to get in shape before appearance on Katie Couric’s new chat show

She’s made no secret of her desire to shed her baby weight after the birth of daughter Maxwell.

And now Jessica Simpson has a deadline – as she gets set to make her debut TV appearance on September 11.

The actress will appear on the first episode of Katie Couric’s new primetime chatshow, discussing such challenges as losing her baby weight, getting past nasty rumours and balancing a baby and a career.

Joining her on the premiere episode, reports The Hollywood Reporter, will be Sheryl Crow, who will talk about her brain tumour diagnosis, along with life as a 50-year-old single mother.

Jessica has a lot riding on her ability to shed the estimated 70lbs that she gained before her daughter’s birth on May 1.

The 32-year-old is sticking strictly to the Weight Watchers plan and has set herself the goal of reaching 130lbs.

Her contract requires a 20-30 pound loss by the end of August.

If she doesn’t come through, she won’t be paid a $4 million signing bonus.

With a huge financial incentive, Jessica has been hard at work on her dieting, and has stopped indulging in foods such as buttered Pop Tarts, which she craved during pregnancy.

The 5ft2 star has roped in friends and family to join her in her quest, including her mother, assistants and the crew of her fashion line.

Along with frequent gym trips her hard work seems to be paying off.

Viewers will soon be able to judge for themselves, with her appearance on ‘Katie’.

No one on the corner has swagger like M.I.A. The “Bad Girls” rapper has been laying low lately, but the paparazzi caught her during a shopping trip to children’s clothing boutique Soho Baby in New York City on Wednesday. The mother of one covered her stomach with bags as she walked with filmmakerRomain Gavras, who directed the videos for “Bad Girls” and “Born Free.”

Her fourth album Matangi is due this December, but first she will release her self-titled book on October 23. The 192-pageM.I.A. documents the career and one-of-a-kind style of the Grammy-nominated artist through 300 images and several unpublished testimonies. She is also working on an art exhibition, set to debut later this year.